


You Got Me Breathing Sunshine

by artemisia_HQ



Series: You Got Me Breathing Sunshine [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), First Dates, Fluff and Humor, Hinata had a glow up and Kageyama is floored, Hinata is brutally honest bless him, Kageyama had a glow up and Hinata is floored, Kageyama is so stressed help him, Kageyama's mom is literally me in this, M/M, Making out in public (kinda), Please excuse kageyama's potty mouth, Public Display of Affection, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Volleyball Dorks in Love, daisuga if you squint - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-04 15:54:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18607723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemisia_HQ/pseuds/artemisia_HQ
Summary: He's been pacing around his room for the last thirty minutes, brows knitted and biting his bottom lip into oblivion. He's clutching his phone tightly, and every other minute, flips it open, his thumb hovering over the call button, then with a frustrated groan, closes it again with a snap.Collapsing on his bed and burying his face on the sheets, he lets out another loud groan. It's just one simple phone call to ask one simple question.Kageyama asked Hinata out for their first date but he doesn't have a clue on what to do. Thankfully, a bunch of friends and one meddling parent helps him out.





	1. That Don't Care Style That Makes Me Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Have some literal word vomit because I have no self-control.
> 
> Title and the fic inspired by the song ‘You’ by Hollywood Ending. You can listen to it while reading, it helps set the mood (I had this on repeat whilst writing this). Honestly, this is like Hinata’s theme song or Kageyama’s song for Hinata. The lyrics eerily fits, it’s hilarious.
> 
> This is set during spring break before their third year starts.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama being a clueless dork as usual
> 
> His mom is my spirit animal
> 
> His other mom (read: Suga) is his saving grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Or could be aptly titled as "Kageyama Tobio's Date Preparation Adventures"

Tobio is panicking.

He's been pacing around his room for the last thirty minutes, brows knitted and biting his bottom lip into oblivion. He's clutching his phone tightly, and every other minute, flips it open, his thumb hovering over the call button, then with a frustrated groan, closes it again with a snap.

Collapsing on his bed and burying his face on the sheets, he lets out another loud groan. It's just one simple phone call to ask one simple question.

Tobio rolls on his back and glares at the ceiling for a minute before he sits upright hastily and flips his phone open. The screen flashes Hinata’s number.

He’s got this. This is just Hinata, he’s called him before, countless times even, and this is really not a big deal and not something to get stressed about. But his stupid, traitorous brain reminds him that this is the first time he’s calling to ask Hinata out on a real date.

They’re dating for almost three (four?) months and he’s never asked him out. Not even once. They’re going out, but they have never _literally_ gone out. He only realized that now, since he didn’t really mind the simple set-up that they had—play volleyball or hang-out in either of their houses—he’s happy and content the way things are and that’s the problem. He was only focused on himself, on how he’s feeling and didn’t consider whether Hinata feels the same or if he’s dissatisfied. Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t even remember doing anything that could count as a romantic gesture. Hinata gave him chocolates for Valentine’s—he even made them himself (never mind that it tasted a little bitter)—and Tobio gave him a mountain of nothing, except maybe kiss him senseless after, here in his room, but that doesn’t count, he reasons bitterly.

(Sure, they were both busy with club activities, but after nationals, the amount and demand of practice lessened considerably, and they're on break right now before their new term starts, so what excuse does he have?)

He may not know a lot about how dating works, but, really, how selfish can he get? He’s not just a king on the court, he’s also one when it comes to a relationship. He kind of hates himself right now, realizing he's a shitty boyfriend. He doesn’t want to mess up the one thing he cares about other than volleyball.

Tobio inhales a lungful of air and exhales through his mouth slowly. Now is not the time to feel bad about himself and wallow in his shortcomings. He has to make up for all the missed opportunities, he has to make this good, or else he’s going to have even more regrets.

Standing up, he shakes his limbs and creaks his neck as he tilts it side to side. He resists the urge to start pacing again. He holds his phone in front of him, the screen had gone to screensaver mode—a picture of them both giving a peace sign, faces pressed close, Hinata smiling widely, his eyes crinkling. Tobio, on the other hand, was not looking at the camera, his eyes were trained sideways to Hinata, his cheeks were flushed pink, a teeny tiny smile on his face.

There’s a small smile tugging on his lips right now as he stares at the picture. It’s embarrassing as hell, and he _almost_ punched Hinata when he set it as their screensaver. But in all honesty, he likes the picture, likes it a whole lot—it’s the only picture he knows where he looks decent and genuinely happy. He fixates his eyes on Hinata, his cheerful smile seems to transcend from the phone and that somehow strengthen his resolve. If it means getting to see Hinata smile like that in real life, then Tobio would have to suck it up and make the _fucking_ call already. He presses a button, and Hinata’s number replaces the picture on the screen.

Okay, okay. He’s calm, he’s cool, everything is awesome, he’s just going to call his idiot boyfriend to ask him out on a date, yep, really simple, there’s nothing to get worked up, he is absolutely _not_ nervous and he’s certainly _not_ terrified, nope, he faced Oikawa-san _twice_ , he’s been to Nationals for _fuck’s sake_ , this is nothing.

His thumb is mere millimeters from the call button (and no, his hands are definitely _not_ shaking) when his phone suddenly rings.

A second ago, his phone was on his hands and now it's clattering under his desk.

“Stupid, fucking—shit!”

He clambers on his knees to reach his phone, banging his head on his desk in the process and another bunch of expletives comes out from his mouth. He finally retrieves it after much scrabbling and is about to press the answer button when a small chuckle emits from his phone.

_“We really need to do something about that vulgar mouth of yours, Kageyama-kun.”_

Hinata. He must’ve pressed the button before his phone flies out of his palms.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

He stands up quickly, his knees knock on his chair and he mutters another string of curse words.

_“You okay there?”_

Tobio fumbles with the phone on his hands and composes himself before answering, “Y-yeah, everything’s fine. G-good. Super.” His voice cracks slightly, his tone higher than usual. _Calm and collected my ass._

He clears his throat before continuing, “How’s it going?” He sounds nothing like himself and he winces inwardly.

Hinata laughs again _. “Are you sure you’re okay, Kageyama-kun? You sound weird.”_ Of course he noticed, the idiot always seems to know when Tobio’s embarrassing himself.

“S-shut up. I’m fine.”

 _“If you say so.”_ He hears some shuffling. _“So, whatcha doin’?”_

 _Agonizing over the fact that I haven’t taken you out on a proper date ever since we started going out and stressing myself on how to ask you._ No fucking way is he going to say that. He makes a beeline towards his bed and sits on the edge.

“Nothing much. You?”

_“Hmmm. Well, I am dying of boredom here. I can’t wait for our training on Friday! I’m going to nail my serves before our third year starts!"_

It’s now or never. The longer he drags this out, the harder this is going to get. He takes a deep breath and tries to ignore the hammering in his chest.

“Hinata, uhm—about Friday,” Tobio fidgets with his bed sheets, picking at loose threads as he struggles to get the words out, “…maybe we could—uhh—skip training.”

 _“Oh. Do you have other plans?”_ Hinata sounds mildly disappointed.

“I was thinking—if maybe we could—do something different.”

_“Like what?”_

Tobio gulps. His throat is dry and his whole body is trembling, his heart a one-man marching band in his chest. He lets out a shaky breath and attempts not to stumble at the words (attempts, but fails, _goddammit_ ).

“There’s a—uhm—new amusement park not far from here. Would you—would you like to go with me?” He grabs a handful of his sheets and holds onto it like a lifeline.

The other line is silent. Ten seconds passed. Twenty. Thirty seconds and Tobio is starting to get annoyed and a little bit panicky—the feeling is not a good combination. If it weren’t for the soft breathing he hears, Tobio would have thought Hinata hang up on him.

“Oi, dumbass, why aren’t you—”

_“Kageyama-kun, are you asking me out on a date?”_

Tobio grips his phone tighter. He was prepared for either an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ or a resounding ‘No.’ He did not expect Hinata to bluntly ask the very thing he’s stressing over. Embarrassment flares up his entire face, his cheeks and ears are burning, and he covers his face with one hand, never mind the fact that Hinata can’t see him—he's beyond mortified.

_“Hey, Kageyama, you still there?”_

He slowly removes his hand from his red-hot face and does what he usually would whenever he’s embarrassed: deflect it by sounding annoyed. “So what if I am?”

 _“Rude. Is that how you ask someone out for a date?”_ He could hear the pout in Hinata’s tone.

“If you don’t want to, just say—”

 _“I want to.”_ Hinata snorts. _“Seriously, Bakageyama, why would I refuse? You’re my boyfriend, of course I’ll go out with you.”_

He splutters and the blush on his face intensifies. _Dumbass Hinata and his dumbass mouth saying dumbass things_. But he couldn’t ignore the relief flooding through his chest and a dopey grin is forming on his lips. _He said yes, holy shit, why do I feel so stupidly happy right now?_

He feigns nonchalance, “I-I know that, dumbass.”

Another amused giggle. _“You’re such a big tsundere, I can’t even.”_

“Oi.”

_“So, Friday then.”_

“Y-yeah. I’ll text you the details.”

_“Okay.”_

“Okay.”

_“Good night, Tobio.”_

His heart does a somersault and a double backflip. He’s still not used to Hinata using his given name, and every time he does, his heart would start doing gymnastic tricks inside his ribcage. Hinata doesn’t say it often, but he always manages to say it at the most opportune moments, like a final finishing blow, the little shit.

“G-good night.” He says back as soon as his heart settled. Then he adds, with as much affection as he can, “dumbass.”

Tobio could _hear_ Hinata’s smile before the call ends. He heaves a relieved sigh as he falls back on his bed. He did it, he asked Hinata out on a date and he said yes. The wobbly grin is back on his face and he pumps fist upwards letting out a celebratory hoot. He can’t help it—he’s happy and excited and all sorts of other fuzzy feelings he doesn’t even have a name for.

Now he has at least a day to prepare to make this date as perfect as possible if it’s the last thing he does.

 

* * *

 

Tobio grunts as he throws another shirt on the floor. His room is littered with various items of clothing, most of it on the floor, but some of it found its way on his bed, on his desk, and even on the shelf above his bed.

He chucks another shirt as he rummages through his closet. Seriously, doesn’t he have anything aside from plain t-shirts, hoodies, and sweaters, all either in white, black, or blue? His eyes catch something bright from the deepest part of his closet and he hopes it’s something decent. He pulls it out and spread it in front of him—it was the printed t-shirt Nishinoya-san gave them back when they were first years. He frowns at it, now he remembers why he buried it so far back in his closet—the three-character kanji on the front read _‘Simple-Minded.’_ He balls the shirt furiously and wedges it back on his closet, no fucking way is he going to wear _that._

(He might have worn it to sleep once or twice, it was oddly comfortable. Eh, he might wear it again, seems like a waste if he just lets it rot in his closet.)

Tobio initially didn’t give a shit what he’ll wear to the date—if it’s entirely up to him, he’ll go with his usual ensemble: t-shirt and sweatpants, maybe throw-in a hoodie if the weather calls for it. He usually doesn’t give much thought on how he dresses in the first place but this time he wants to look at least nice and presentable, not for himself, but for Hinata. He knows Hinata doesn’t really care about appearances—if there is one thing Hinata is not, and he is a lot of things, it’s being shallow—and he took comfort in the fact that Hinata likes him not because of his looks (he calls Tobio scary at least ten times a day, so there’s that). But just this once, he wants to look good for him, he wants him to know that he put in a little bit of effort to look somewhat decent for this date. Conversely, Tobio couldn’t care less what Hinata wears. He just…looks good in just about everything, even in that stupid Vabo-chan shirt he still wears. He could go dress in a burlap sack and Tobio would still find him cute.

He spends another ten minutes trying desperately to find something, _anything_ , that could pass off as an appropriate attire for a date before he gives up, pulling at his hair in frustration. He looks around his room, it’s like a hurricane pass through with all the clothes haphazardly scattered around. His mom is going to kill him if she finds his room in this state.

As if on cue, there’s a knock on his door and a voice calling out, muffled, “Tobio, what is all the ruckus going on in there? Open up, you’ve been holed up in your room all morning!”

There’s no time to clean up and he’d rather deal with his mom right now than go through another round of hopeless diving inside his closet. Trying not to trip on his clothes on the floor, he walks across his room to unlock the door, his mother still rapping on it.

“Tobio, what—” His mom’s jaw hangs open as she takes in the disaster in front of her. “What happened in here?”

He steps aside as his mother reluctantly enters his room.  She lets out an exasperated huff and crosses her arms in front as she faces him. “I asked you a question, Tobio.”

He looks down at his feet trying to hide the red creeping on his cheeks. He mumbles, “I’m trying to find something to wear.”

“Wear to what exactly?”

His mother is staring at him expectantly. If there is one thing he absolutely won't dare to do, it’s to lie to his mom because she _always_ knows if he does, and there is hell to pay if she finds out he did, like not including Tobio’s favorite milk the next time she goes grocery shopping. He squirms under his mom’s scrutiny and hunches his shoulder as he stutters out his response, “F-for a d-date.”

At that, his mom perks up excitedly and claps her hands, bouncing up and down. “Finally! I thought you’re never going to find the courage to ask Hinata-kun out on a proper date.”

(No wonder his mother and his boyfriend get along swimmingly well—they're both annoyingly childish.)

When she's done with her little celebration, she envelops him into a bone-crushing hug. “My baby boy is growing up.”

He squirms on his mom’s arms, “M-mom…” She still likes to treat him like a little kid (he’s at least a head taller than her, for crying out loud) and _loves_ to do embarrassing gestures like this. He wants to dive under the pile of clothes and hide there for the next six months.

She laughs and gives him a tight squeeze before letting go. “So, did you find anything to wear?”

He shakes his head and gestures at the mess on the floor. “No. All I have are t-shirts and hoodies.”

“What about that dark blue button-up shirt you wore on your uncle’s wedding?”

“Uhh, no. It looks too…formal.” Tobio’s nose wrinkles at the thought of wearing that dressy shirt.

“Where are you taking Hinata-kun anyway?”

“The new amusement park that opened last week.”

“Oh! Something casual then.” His mom purses her lip, her hand rested on her chin. Then her face brightens as she looks up at Tobio. “You know what, just buy something.” She fishes her purse on her pocket and pulls out a wad of paper bills and thrusts it on Tobio’s hand.

He clumsily fumbles with the money and his eyes widen at the absurd amount. “Mom, I don’t need money. I still have some remaining allowance. And this is too much.” He starts to give back the money but his mom clasps her hand on his with a smile on her face.

“Nonsense. Go buy a nice shirt or two and use the remaining change for your date. I’d very much like to go shopping with you but I have an appointment today.”

“But—”

“Just take the money, Tobio, and let your mother help you out, okay?” She pats his cheek softly then winks before heading out the door. “Now clean up this mess before you go and make sure to have the best first date ever with my future son-in-law.”

Tobio chokes on air as his mother’s laughter echoes across the hallway.

 

* * *

 

Shopping is hard and the bustling crowd isn’t helping at all. It isn’t like he hadn’t gone shopping before, he’s been here a lot of times to buy his volleyball essentials, but this is the first time he’s gone to buy clothes. Alone. He already spent thirty minutes trying to find the clothes section, he’s never been to this part of the mall, and this whole ordeal is starting to irritate him, chewing at his patience.

He rounds a corner and finally spots a store with dressed up mannequins displayed up front and he sighs in relief. He’s about to enter the store when he hears someone calling his name.

“Kageyama!”

He turns and saw Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san waving as they walk towards him, their arms full of shopping bags.

“It’s rare to see you here, Kageyama,” Sugawara says as soon as he’s in front of Tobio.

He bows in greeting at his former captain and vice-captain. “Sawamura-san. Sugawara-san.”

Sawamura-san chuckles as he pats Tobio’s shoulder. “No need for the formalities, Kageyama.”

He just nods. Even after knowing them for almost two years, he still finds it hard to initiate a conversation with them that doesn’t involve volleyball.

Sugawara-san smiles. “So, what are you shopping for?”

Tobio tilts his head toward the store he’s about to enter. “Clothes.”

“Oh! Wow, I never thought you’re interested in fashion, Kageyama.”

He frowns a little and shakes his head, maybe a bit too fast. “I’m not. I don’t know a thing about fashion actually.”

Sugawara-san smiles even wider. “We could help you! We just finished buying our stuff anyways. Do you mind, Daichi?”

Sawamura-san shakes his head once as he grins. “Nope. Not at all.”

“Uhm—I don’t want to be a bother…”

“Don’t be like that. We want to help.” Sugawara-san starts to walk beside Tobio, with Sawamura-san following behind. They slowly fall into a relaxed pace as they stroll. “So, what kind of clothes are you looking for? And for what?”

Remembering his mom’s words earlier, he echoes, “Something casual.” He completely ignores the second question, he’s had enough embarrassment about this whole date thing.

Apparently, his words say more than he intends to as comprehension dawns on Sugawara-san’s face and he beams.

“Oh! Are you going out on a date with Hinata?”

 _Well shit._ He forgot how perceptive his former vice-captain is. He could feel his face and the tips of his ears starting to heat up. He just nods timidly as confirmation.

Sugawara-san slaps Tobio’s back lightly. “No need to be shy, Kageyama. Come on, let’s start at the store where I usually buy clothes.” With that, Sugawara-san grabs Tobio’s arm and drags him as they pass through the crowd.

Five minutes later and he’s following Sugawara-san around the store he mentioned as he picks clothes after clothes from the display rack, with Sawamura-san occasionally giving comments and suggestions. For every outfit he picks, Sugawara-san would hold it up in front of Tobio, his brows scrunched up as he looks at him from head to toe. It’s rather awkward and uncomfortable, the way his senpai stares at him with intense scrutiny, but he manages to go along with it. He's beyond grateful that they’re willing to help, actually—this is infinitely better than doing this alone with absolutely no idea what to do.

“Okay, try these on for now.” Sugawara-san drops a heap of clothes in his arms. He struggles to carry the mountain of fabric as a sales clerk ushers him to the changing room, his senpais following behind. He's lead to a cubicle with a large mirror on the wall and a rack to hang the clothes on.

His senpais take a seat in a couch just outside his cubicle. “Try one outfit at a time and then let us take a look so we can narrow down what suits you best, all right?” Sugawara-san says with an encouraging smile.

Tobio nods and enters the cubicle, hanging the clothes on the rack. Just how many did they pick out? There’s about a gazillion outfit, in different colors and patterns, and he’s getting a bit overwhelmed as to what to try on first. With a shrug, he reaches out the first item on the rack.

He never thought that trying on clothes would be so much work. He didn’t anticipate it to be this complicated and not to mention, tiring. He spends almost an hour changing clothes after clothes, letting his senpais take a look after each one. Whenever Sugawara-san shakes his head in disapproval or murmurs indecisively, Tobio suppresses an irritated groan from escaping his throat. He doesn’t want to offend them when they’re going out of their way to help him out, but still, he’s starting to get annoyed at how long this is taking, and he isn’t exactly the poster child for being patient.

So when he steps out of the cubicle wearing the second to the last outfit from the pile and Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san stands up and visibly gasps before giving him a thumbs-up, Tobio couldn’t help heaving out a sigh of relief. _Fucking finally_ , his skin was starting to get itchy from the variety of clothes he’d tried on.

“Wow, Kageyama. You look really good. Kinda like a model, since you’re tall. Hmmm, wait.” Sugawara-san reaches out to roll his sleeves up to his elbows then he crouches down to do the same to his pants, folding it just above his ankle. When he finishes, he stands up and nods his head, humming decisively. “I think this is it. Daichi?”

Sawamura-san smiles as he gives him another thumbs-up. “Yep. I don’t know much about fashion either, but I think this is good. Great, even.”

Tobio starts to blush at his senpais comments. He's used to people complimenting his skills in volleyball but this might be the first time someone said something nice about his appearance. He was constantly teased about his grumpy disposition and the default frowny look on his face (and scary, as Hinata always points out), even if he doesn’t do it on purpose—he can’t help it if that’s how his face looks like. So hearing something like this is strange and surprising, but not unwelcome (it kind of makes him happy).

He turns around to take a good look at himself at the mirror and he’s taken aback by the person staring at him. He’s wearing a light blue shirt with a dark grey long-sleeved cardigan over it, his dark khaki pants rolled off just above his ankle, with white sneakers matching well with the rest of the outfit. The person in the mirror looks cool and put-together and it took him a full ten seconds before he realizes that he’s looking at himself.

After paying for the clothes, Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san bid him goodbye. Tobio insists on treating his senpais for a snack (preferably a meat bun) for their trouble but they humbly decline, telling him that they have to catch their bus. He bows deeply as he thanked them, and they clap his back, wishing him good luck for their date tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Their date is tomorrow.

_Fuck._

 

* * *

 

It's already late afternoon when Tobio gets home, struggling to unlock his front door with all the bags he’s hauling. His mom is still out, looks like she’ll be home late today. He drops the bags on the couch and makes his way towards the kitchen, opening the fridge to pour himself a drink. He's gulping his glass of water when his phone chimes. Pulling it out while he’s drinking, he flips it open and proceeds to choke on his water when he sees who messaged him and the message itself.

 

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:32PM**

_So excited for our date tomorrow! o( >ω<)o  
_

 

After a fit of violent coughs and drinking another glass of water, he manages to compose himself and takes a seat on the dinner table. Ignoring the stampeding elephants in his stomach, he struggles to type his reply with shaky hands.

 

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:37PM**

_Is there ever a time you’re not excited, dumbass?_

Not even twenty seconds passed when his phone chimes again. Seriously, is Hinata unnaturally fast in just about everything he does?

 

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:37PM**

_Meanie! Are you not excited?_

 

He contemplates how to answer. Of course, he’s excited, probably just as jittery before a match, but he’s also nervous as fuck and the feeling of anxiety and unease is slowly creeping through his bones. He decides to just be honest about it or at least partially honest, typing out a simple reply.

 

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:39PM**

_I am._

 

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:40PM**

_It’s funny how I can imagine exactly how you looked like while typing that lol_

Tobio scowls but before he can type out a retort, another message pooped out.

 

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:40PM**

_So what time tomorrow? Should I stop by your house first or should we meet at the bus stop?_

He considers for a moment. The amusement park is relatively closer to his house, just two bus stops away, and it would be a hassle to go over the damn mountain and backtrack. It’s a waste of time and the most practical thing to do is for Hinata to come over. But he at least knows that it’s ideal to pick up his date and they could ride at the closest bus stop from there, even if they have to waste a good one hour just to get to the amusement park.

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:43PM**

_I’ll come by your house at 9am._

 

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:44PM**

_The amusement park is closer to your house. I’ll come over._

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:46PM**

_No. I’ll go to your house. That’s that._

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:47PM**

_Okay, geez. Seriously, Bakageyama, you still sound like my boss even in text._

Tobio makes his way upstairs to his room, lugging his shopping bags with him. He flops on his bed, dropping the bags on the floor.

 

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:51PM**

_And you still sound like an annoying idiot, dumbass._

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:52PM**

_But you like this dumbass, so who’s the bigger idiot here, Tobio? <(￣︶￣)>  
_

He blushes furiously, his heart doing cartwheels. There he is again, saying stupid, embarrassing things and using his given name like that so casually, even if it’s just in a text. It takes a while to subdue the heat on his face and to calm his heart (he might be a gymnast in his past life, his heart sure is one, who knows).

But, if there’s one thing Tobio likes about texting, it’s getting away with saying things he most definitely can’t when they’re face to face. Two can play at that game—in texting at least.

 

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:55PM**

_Who said anything about me liking you?_

 

And before Hinata could even reply (and before he loses his courage), he types as fast as he can, dealing the final blow.

 

**To: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**5:55PM**

_I’m crazy about you, Shouyou._

 

When Hinata doesn’t reply until later that night, flooding him with texts like ‘ _no fair’_ , _‘that one was a low blow’_ , _‘stupid kageyama’_ or other variations of it followed by nonsensical kaomojis, Tobio’s sure he wins this round.

 

* * *

 

To say that he’s nervous is an understatement. He slept pretty early last night though, feeling good about himself when he one-upped Hinata. But as soon as he drifted to sleep, things started to go downhill from there. He woke up every hour to check his phone, panic surging up at the possibility that he’d overslept. When he awoke at five-thirty that morning, he begrudgingly just got up, he’s too anxious to sleep anyway, and decided to take a jog to at least have some kind of distraction and to ease his anxiousness. It works for a while, but as soon as he passes by the park where they usually hang out sets his nerves on fire again. He sprints all the way home, startling a couple of other joggers on his way.

He’s a ball of restless energy, every little thing sets him off. When he toasts some bread and one of them turns out burned on the edges, he takes that as a bad omen and angrily chucks the said toast on the trash bin. When he scrambles some eggs and adds too much salt, he’s reminded of Tsukishima’s snarky remarks and that is definitely not a good sign. After forcing his breakfast down his throat with a glass of milk and showers, he triple-checks the bought outfit if everything is still there and irons it twice—he was unsatisfied the first time when he noticed a tiny wrinkle. He checks the time, it was only seven, at least an hour and a half before he leaves to pick Hinata up.

Whenever his phone beeps, he’s hesitant to check it, afraid that Hinata would cancel, telling Tobio that he’d rather do something than go with him. He’s pacing around his house, sweating a waterfall—so much for the shower he had just ten minutes ago—looking for anything that could distract him from the agitation slowly eating him alive. His restless lumbering must’ve woken his mother up; she usually sleeps in until noon whenever she got home late.

“Tobio, relax. I could literally feel your nervousness,” his mom chastises him as she bounds down the stairs in her robe.

He glares pointedly at the floor and mutters under his breath, “I’m not nervous.”

His mother chuckles and approaches Tobio, ruffling his hair. “It’s okay to be a little nervous, it’s your first date after all.” She runs her fingers on his hair then frowns. “Your hair’s gotten longer. Why didn’t you get a haircut yesterday?”

His hand shoots up to his hair. Huh, it is a bit longer and his fringe kind of brushes against his eyelashes. “I guess I didn’t notice.”

As soon as he sees the mischievous glint in his mother’s eyes, he knows she’s up to no good, specifically, in Tobio’s expense. Before he could even react, his mother is dragging him towards the bathroom, ignoring his protests.

 

* * *

 

Tobio looks at himself in the mirror for the tenth time that day, his hands pulling on his now shorter hair. It’s just a trim, really, not that much different from before, but his eyes are more visible. And whatever his mom let him borrowed to use as a shampoo and conditioner when she insisted he takes another shower makes his hair super soft and shiny (He’s half a mind to buy the exact same thing to use from now on).

He’s already dressed and tries to remember the exact way Sugawara-san folded his sleeves and pants—even he can do as much. He takes a final glimpse at the mirror, eyeing himself from head to toe. He has to admit, he looks…different, but in a good way. Satisfied, he makes his way downstairs.

After more fussing and unhealthy amount of gushing from his mom, she finally relents, but not before kissing him on his cheeks and holding them between her palms, and looks straight at Tobio’s eyes, her own warm and a little misty.

“I’m so proud of you, Tobio. Now, remember, just be yourself, and for once, son, be nice to Hinata-kun.”

He snorts. “He makes it difficult.”

She narrows her eyes at him for a second but giggles as she shakes her head. She drops another kiss on his cheeks (“Mom!”) before letting him go. “You still got enough money? I could give you more if it isn’t.”

“It’s more than enough, Mom, really. You gave me more than my monthly allowance.”

She raises her hands in mock surrender. “Just making sure.” She glances at the wall clock and Tobio follows her stare.

 _Shit_. It’s thirty minutes to nine. He could feel the ball of anxiety in his stomach bubble over again and his heart starts beating at an abnormal pace. His phone chimes as if on cue. He flips it open and his breathing stops.

 

**From: Hinata Shouyou**

**Re: Date! Date! Date!**

**8:31AM**

_See you soon, Kageyama-kun~ (*¯ ³¯*)♡  
_

 

“Well, then, I’m going back to bed. Enjoy your date, Tobio.” She yawns and starts making her way upstairs.

And because his mother’s number one purpose in life is to mortify Tobio into the next century, she looks over her shoulders and says with a leer, “Just so you know, I won’t be coming home again until late tonight. You can have the house until then.”

"Mom!"

 

* * *

 

Tobio’s standing in front of Hinata’s front door, his hands fisted on his sides. It’s already two minutes past nine o’clock, he really should knock, but his limbs are frozen to the bones. He starts to flex his fingers, opening and closing them repeatedly, trying to get his circulation back to his hands.

His phone chimes and he doesn’t have to open it to tell that it’s Hinata, probably demanding _‘where the heck are you, Bakageyama?’_ and that does it for him. He lets out a shaky breath and firmly knocks on the door thrice.

Okay, this is it. Deep breaths, deep breaths. This is just Hinata, stupid dumbass Hinata, no reason to get nervous, they’re just going to hang out like usual, except there’s no volleyball this time and he’s absolutely shit at anything that’s not volleyball and _oh god_ this is a mistake—

The door opens and time stood still as he takes a look at the person in front of him. Everything seems so vibrant all of a sudden and Tobio have to suppress the urge to squint. Hinata is wearing a light blue shirt, the exact same shade as Tobio’s, with a yellow sleeveless hoodie over it, his jeans rolled below his knees, and familiar yellow high-top sneakers adorning his small feet. Tobio trains his eyes back upward and his mouth hangs open involuntarily.

The messy, unruly orange hair is not anymore, at least not all of it. The sides of his hair are trimmed short, but the top of his head is as wild as before, the morning light licking the waves like flames. The dumbass had gotten himself a haircut and it’s doing _things_ to Tobio’s heart.

He finally glances at his face and— _holy shit_ —big mistake. The hair makes his features sharper and the morning light hits him in all the right places, the flecks of gold in his irises gleaming.

Tobio could feel his face starting to heat up and his knees are threatening to buckle under him. He looks—he looks so—

Hinata clears his throat. “Y-you look—uhh—g-good.” He whips his head to the side, his hand's clasps behind his back and he starts rocking at the balls of his feet. Tobio notices the red on his face and neck.

Tobio’s responds by blushing furiously, he probably looks more tomato than human. The compliment flies over his head—on any other day he would've smacked Hinata for saying something like that but he’s so distracted right now and his brain is short-circuiting. Hinata looks so goddamn cute and hot at the same time his mind is warring with itself whether he should hide on a nearby bush or grab Hinata and make-out with him. He stares at his own feet because looking directly at Hinata right now is dangerous, like looking straight into the sun, which in Tobio’s defense, there’s not that much difference.

Eventually, he remembers how talking works and stutters out a response, “W-well, you’re not half bad, I guess.”

Hinata gasps as he turns to finally face Tobio. “Not half bad? You jerk! It’s the hair, isn’t it? You think I look stupid.” He crosses his arms and pouts.

And Hinata is back to being obnoxious (ly cute) and that jolts Tobio out of his trance. “No, dumbass! I’m complimenting you!”

“Didn’t sound like it.” Hinata uncrosses his arms to put them on his hips, trying to look indignant. “Do better.”

“ _Fine_.” He swallows spit, along with his pride, and mumbles, not quite looking straight at Hinata, “Y-you look good, too.

Hinata chortles and mockingly shakes his head. “You still suck at compliments.”

“Shut up.”

And just like that, the awkward air between them dissipates. This is familiar territory, the bickering and light-hearted insults, and he could at least mask his nervousness behind those. Hinata grins up at him and steps out of his front door, locking it before turning to face Tobio and loops his arms over his. He smiles and tugs Tobio forward. “Let’s go.”

Tobio stumbles a bit as Hinata drags him. “Shouldn’t I greet your mom and Natsu first?”

“Oh, they’re out. They’re visiting one of my mom’s college friend at Sendai. They left a little while before you arrived.”

They walk in comfortable silence, Hinata’s arm still loosely wound around his. Slowly, Tobio takes Hinata’s hand and laces their fingers. He could feel Hinata tense up and he looks up at him curiously.

“You’re okay with this? People are gonna see.”

Tobio shrugs and tightens his hold. “I don’t care.”

Hinata beams and bumps his shoulder on his, or on Tobio's bicep at least. “You can be sweet sometimes, you know.”

He just snorts in response and Hinata giggles, pressing closer to Tobio’s side. He’s always so warm, like a walking heater, and his warmth fills Tobio—he could feel it spilling all throughout his chest.

He’s smiling all the way to the bus stop and the rest of the ride to the amusement park.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. 6k words and we haven't even gone to the actual date yet ***chuckles nervously***
> 
> The words wrote themselves, don't blame me ╮(︶▽︶)╭


	2. Got That Sunset Vibe That Drives Me Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two idiots wrecking havoc at the amusement park 
> 
> Oh and a lot of kissing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what do you know, we finally got to the actual date.
> 
> I had so many ideas for this but I managed to restrain myself. Yes, 12k words is me trying to have some semblance of self-control.

“Waaaaaaaah! Kageyama! Look at the size of that thing! It’s so huuuuge!”

“Oooooooh! Let’s ride the bumper cars first!”

“Look! Ice cream! I want one!”

Hinata is bouncing from one place to another, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he gushes at everything he sees. A wobbly smile forms on Tobio’s lips at seeing Hinata like an excited hyperactive puppy, although admittedly, he’s also thrilled to explore the amusement park—it’s been a while since he went to one.

Tobio grabs Hinata’s elbow before he could run off. “Calm down, dumbass.”

Hinata is literally vibrating, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m just so excited! There’s so many things to do!” He starts to dart off again, dragging Tobio with him.

“Oi—”

Looking over his shoulder, Hinata smiles widely. “Come on, Kageyama-kun!” He sprints towards the bumper cars, holding Tobio’s hand tightly.

(Good thing Hinata’s not looking his way right now, the beet red look on his face would be impossible to hide.)

Turns out, he absolutely sucks at driving bumper cars. He keeps hitting the railings, and it took a while to get the hang on how to maneuver the stupid car. He grunts in frustration as he slams with another rider. Hinata’s laughter is louder than the whimsical music in the background, taunting Tobio. The idiot has a smug look on his face as he circles around him, steering the wheel one-handed. How in the world is Hinata good at this when Tobio can’t even make a proper turn without frantically struggling which way to steer and which pedal to step on?

Hinata is still laughing at him even after they left, recounting all of Tobio’s epic failures animatedly. He only stops when Tobio smacks him upside his head (but not hard enough to actually hurt), and he finally concedes with a last shit-eating grin. When they come across an ice cream stand, they didn’t have to look at one another before they start racing towards it.

They sit on a nearby bench, slurping on their ice cream cones—Tobio got a blueberry-vanilla and Hinata ordered a strawberry sundae. Hinata challenges him on who can finish first and after finding out that gulping large amounts of ice cream in quick succession is definitely _not_ a good idea, they eat their ice creams in silence. Tobio glances over at Hinata. He eats like a kid, there’s a trail of melted ice cream on his hands and there’s a smudge of it on his cheek.

“Hinata.”

“Hmmm?”

Hinata faces him. Tobio reaches over and holds his chin, swiping over the ice cream with his finger. His hold on Hinata's face lingers and Hinata stares at him wide-eyed. Tobio hesitates for a second before he places a quick peck on Hinata's lips—they're cold and wet and taste faintly like strawberry.

When he pulls back, Hinata’s face is painted red as he covers his mouth with one hand. “Wha-what was that for, s-stupid Kageyama!?!”

Tobio smirks as he releases his hold on Hinata’s face. “That’s for making fun of me.”

With that, he stands and gobbles down the rest of his ice cream. Hinata is still looking at him, dumbstruck, and Tobio takes that as chance to start running. It only takes a few seconds before there’s a familiar thud of feet on his tail, yelling _‘No fair!’_ and Tobio smiles before sprinting at full speed.

 

* * *

 

Tobio struggles to catch his breath, bending forward with his hands on his knees, Hinata mirroring him. When his breathing returns to normal, he straightens his back and smirks at Hinata, “I win.”

Instantly, Hinata is back on his feet, glaring at Tobio. “What the heck, Kageyama! That totally doesn’t count! I didn't know where you're heading and—and you cheated!”

They argue back and forth, only to be scolded by a park employee. Embarrassed, they bow as they apologize. Hinata hisses at him, telling him it was totally Tobio’s fault that they got into trouble. He’s about to retaliate when he finally notices the attraction in front of them.

_Time for a payback._

Tobio grins at Hinata, and this time he purposely tries to look scary and when Hinata blanches, he sneers even wider and inches closer towards him.

Hinata tries to smile, but his nervousness is clearly etched on his face. “Uhhh—let’s try that—” He looks around frantically and points at the attraction next to them, “—that spinning thing over there!” He tugs at Tobio’s arm and starts to walk towards it.

Tobio holds his ground and grabs Hinata’s arm instead and drags him to the admission booth.

“Nope, you picked earlier, I pick this time. And I want to go here. It looks fun.”

All the color drains from Hinata’s face. “N-no! Kageyama!”

Ignoring Hinata’s squirming against his grip and his desperate cries of protest, he holds out their all-access passes at the haunted house admission booth and heads towards the entrance.

It’s cold and dark inside, eerily illuminated by dim red lights. There’s a blanket of cobwebs that covers the ceiling and some of it got on Tobio’s face as they enter and he swipes at it with disgust. A creepy background music plays in the background—wolves howling and some creepy maniacal laughter. The small hands wrapped around his arm tightens every time the music suddenly crescendos.

Hinata is trembling as he presses close on Tobio’s side, his eyes scrunched tight, his lips pressed into a thin line. For a second, Tobio feels guilty and he gently pats Hinata’s hair. “Hey, open your eyes. It’s not that bad.”

Still with eyes shut close, Hinata shakily answers, “R-really?”

“Yeah. Don’t be such a baby.”

Hinata stiffens in defiance and opens his eyes quickly. “I am not a baby! I’m older than you!”

Tobio scoffs and raises his eyebrows in challenge. “Oh yeah? Let’s see who’s the real baby then. First one to run away gets to buy the other lunch.”

Hinata shuffles nervously and bites at his lip. Tobio smiles smugly, he knows he’s gonna win this, it’s not even a competition. But knowing Hinata, he won’t back down from any challenge, especially one issued by Tobio.

His brown eyes seem to glow under the red lights as he looks up at Tobio. “You’re on!”

They walk side by side, careful not to bump at the various furniture and random objects on the way. Despite his mock display of courage earlier, Hinata clings close to Tobio, and clutches his sleeves, his blunt nails digging through Tobio’s arm. His eyes are wide, darting from left to right, and every little movement makes him flinch. When they pass by a seemingly harmless doll and it starts to talk, Hinata squeaks, jumping a few centimeters from the floor, and Tobio couldn’t help but laugh at him. Hinata scowls back at him despite his trembling.

Halfway through the haunted house, the jump scares start to get intense and Tobio has to admit there were a few times he was startled and almost let out an undignified squeak of his own. Hinata shut his eyes close again, he’s got two arms wrap around Tobio now, his face buried on his cardigan sleeves. He’s practically climbing over Tobio and he tries to shove him away but Hinata has him in an iron grip. He finally yields, although it’s hard to walk when you have an orange-haired idiot clinging at you like a monkey.

They’re a few meters from the exit when something comes out of the cabinet they just passed and starts to chase them. Hinata screams and lets go of Tobio's arn and ran at full speed, his silhouette disappearing fast into the dark hallway.

Naturally, Tobio ran after him (he is _absolutely not_ running away because he’s scared of the thing that came out of the closet, nope, _definitely not_ ). When he comes out of the exit, he sees Hinata down on his knees, head hung low, panting heavily. Tobio stands in front of him and Hinata is back on his feet instantly, glaring daggers at Tobio.

Tobio looms over him, hands on his hip. “I win.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Bakageyama. Guess we’re even now.” Hinata runs a hand through his hair, the sweat slightly slicking it back. “But, dude, that sure was scary.”

He looks ridiculously cute with his hair slicked back like that and Tobio could feel the red starting to crawl across his face. _Goddammit_ , this idiot is unreasonably attractive without even trying. He immediately covers his face with his hand, but not before Hinata notices.

“Why are you so red?” He peers at Tobio, trying to take a look at his face.

Tobio whips his face to the side. “Maybe because I ran.”

Hinata quirks his brows, unconvinced. Tobio coughs and tries to veer the topic. “Uhm. Are you hungry?”

At that, Hinata lights up. “Yeah! Let’s grab lunch first then we can ride the rollercoaster.”

It takes a while to find the food court, and they walk around aimlessly at first before Tobio remembers the complimentary map they were given at the entrance. Still, it was a struggle—both of them are not that good at reading maps—and after asking directions from park employees, they finally got to their destination, their stomachs growling at the scent of food.

They secure an empty table and decide to buy some burgers and fries. Tobio is about to line up to order when Hinata grabs at his elbow, stopping him.

“Where are you going, Bakageyama? I thought I’ll pay for lunch since I lost the bet.”

Tobio totally forgot about that, although he wasn’t actually serious about the bet. He already assumed that he’s the one paying for everything anyway since he was the one who invited Hinata out.

He shrugs. “I’ll pay this time.”

“But you already paid for the bus and the passes and the ice cream!”

“I don’t mind.”

Hinata crosses his arm and pouts, “I’m not a girl, Kageyama, you don’t need to pay for everything.”

Annoyed, Tobio snaps, “I said I got it, okay? Besides—,” he lowers his voice as he admits, “I want to.”

Hinata is still pouting at him, but eventually flops down on his seat. “Fine. But I’ll pay for next time. I won’t lose to you when it comes to dating.” Then he grins at Tobio, all teeth showing.

Tobio turns around quickly, mumbling about getting in line. He couldn’t help the small smile on his lips and the fluttery feeling in his chest as his mind lingers on the promise of _‘next time.’_

He returns to their table fifteen minutes later, his arms balancing a tray full of food. He ordered about four double burgers (two curry burger and two barbeque burger), three large fries in different flavors (he couldn’t decide which flavor so he bought one of each, because why not?), and two tall milkshakes (vanilla and chocolate chip). Hinata is bouncing at his seat as Tobio places the tray on the table, all the while chastising him to _‘calm down, dumbass’_ although Tobio is pretty hungry himself. They wolf down their food, Hinata occasionally feeding him fries and Tobio doing the same (or more like stuffing a handful of it in Hinata’s mouth). Hinata at one point stuck two fries on his nostrils and Tobio chokes on his milkshake as Hinata pulls funny faces. When some milk drips out of his nose, Hinata laughs wildly, but before Tobio could furiously yell at him, Hinata reaches out to wipe his nose with a tissue. Tobio instantly reddens and Hinata laughs even more.

The look of pure amusement in Hinata’s eyes, cheeks pink from laughing, is enough for Tobio to swallow a retort and laugh along with him.

 

* * *

 

Satisfied and with stomachs full, they rest for a while at a nearby bench. It would be a bad idea to ride the rollercoaster immediately after they ate, Tobio is not too keen to go home full of burger and milkshake vomit. When Hinata starts to get restless (about five minutes of idle sitting), they head to the line of mini games first, or more accurately, Hinata sprinting towards it, Tobio chasing after him.

They come across a shooting game and when Hinata points at the biggest plush toy hanging at the prices aisle, eyes pleading, Tobio steps forward and slams a ten-yen bill on the counter. The guy in charge of the booth hands him a toy rifle and Tobio stands in position, hefting the rifle on his shoulders. He hits every moving target dead at the center, the pinging sound drowned by Hinata’s cheers and shouts as he jumps up and down. People are starting to gather around them and when he hits the last target, the crowd claps and some of them even pats him on his back.

The attendant is gaping at him like a fish as he fumbles to bring down the plush toy and hands it to Hinata’s waiting arms. Tobio takes a good look at the toy—it’s a black dog or something, its blue glass eyes slanted, and its mouth is stitched into a thin line. He frowns at it and looks back at the other prices hanging, there’s at least a dozen other toys that is ten times better than the grim dog-thing now squished around Hinata’s arms, his cheek nuzzling its nose.

“Why’d you pick that anyway? It looks ugly.”

Hinata’s face is still pressed close to the toy as he grins, his cheeks tinted pink. “It’s not ugly. And I picked this because he kind of looks like you.”

Tobio could feel his ears warming. “I-it looks nothing like me.”

“Yes, he does!” Hinata places the toy next to Tobio’s face, its fur tickling his cheeks. “See? His fur is the same color as your hair and you even have the same eyes! I think I’m gonna call him Tobi.” He hugs it again. “I’m going to sleep with him every night.”

His face is full-blown red at this point and he smacks Hinata’s head (“Ouch! What was that for?”), yelling at him to shut up before stalking off, Hinata following promptly.

By the time they reached the next booth, the red in his face finally wanes and he avoids glancing at Hinata hugging the plush toy that supposedly looks like him. He turns his attention to the booth instead—it’s a Whac-a-Mole—and the next thing he knows, the dog-thing (or Tobi, whatever) is shoved on his arms as Hinata hands the attendant some money. He grabs the mallet and grins back at Tobio, eyes fiery with determination, “Watch and learn, Kageyama. This is how you win at Whac-a-Mole.”

With his tongue poking out of the corner of his lips, Hinata waits for the popping heads of moles to appear and when it does, he smacks the heads one after the other, his mallet just a red blur. He’s yelling out _'bwaahs'_ and _'pooows'_ and other ones of his extensive weird noises as he slams the mallet down with same speed and power when he spikes a ball. Tobio is amused by the horrified look of the girl behind the counter.

Hinata beats the high score and Tobio swears there’s smoke trailing from every hole on the machine and on the underside of the mallet. Hinata raises his hands up in the air and whoops. After picking his price—a big orange teddy bear—he grabs Tobio’s hand and walk towards the next booth.

They spend about an hour playing games after games, and of course, keeping score on who wins at what. Tobio mostly won the games that require precision (he absolutely destroyed Hinata at ring toss), and Hinata won those involving speed and fast reflexes (Hinata wrecked Tobio at air hockey). In the end, they’re at a tie and decides to leave it at that—their hands are full of prices anyway. The guy manning the last booth they played at suggested using the lockers to stash their stuff.

(Hinata almost didn’t want to leave the dumb dog plushie but he ultimately lets it go, but not before giving it a hug and a kiss on its nose. Tobio may or may not be getting jealous with an inanimate object.)

 

* * *

 

Hinata munches on his cotton candy as they head towards the rollercoaster. Tobio is not a big fan of something so sweet but that didn’t stop Hinata from pinching pieces of it and shoving the spun sugar into Tobio's mouth. As they draw nearer, both of them are startled by the screams from the rollercoaster as it loops and tilts and curves. Hinata stared at it in awe, starry-eyed and vibrating with excitement. He chomps the remaining cotton candy in his hand and hauls Tobio towards the entrance.

After waiting in line for their turn, Hinata practically jumps into the first cart. He waves at Tobio, telling him to hurry up, Tobio karate-chopping his head to _‘stop being so impatient, dumbass.’_ The rest of the passengers trickle in and before long, the ride starts to move, Hinata cheering loudly with the others.

They ascend higher and higher, and Tobio could feel the nervousness settling in, and tries desperately not to show it in his face. Hinata is grinning from ear to ear, and when they stopped at the highest point, Tobio holds his breath and screams like he never screamed before as the rollercoaster descends fast. Hinata has his arms up, screaming, but his eyes wide open in delight. Tobio is hanging on for dear life as it loops and twists, his stomach dropping when it goes up, and his heart stopping at his throat when it goes down.

Hinata is yelling something, but Tobio couldn’t hear him with all the ringing in his ear and the screams of the other passengers. Hinata turns toward him, his eyes bright and misty, cheeks tinted pink, his smile blinding. There’s a little snot dripping from his nose, but Tobio didn’t care—Hinata looks absolutely happy in that moment, looking so carefree and innocent, and Tobio didn’t think it was possible to fall deeper in love with someone until now. He wants to see Hinata like this all the time, happy and content. To protect his smile and innocence, to indulge in the warmth he always brings, to be infected by his boundless energy and passion. He wants every bit of sunshine from Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio would do anything, give everything, just to have that, treasure it in his heart and never let it go.

When they got off the rollercoaster and exited the platform, Tobio couldn’t help himself—he pulls Hinata to his chest and hugs him tightly, ignoring the strange looks from the crowd around them. Hinata tenses at first, clearly surprised, but eventually circles his arms around Tobio, hugging him back with the same fervor. Tobio gives him one last squeeze then slowly extricates himself, his hands still resting at Hinata’s shoulders. Hinata smiles at him, and he could feel his own lips curving up in response. They head out with their hands entwined, Hinata swinging their hands between them.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the afternoon passes by in a blur, almost literally. Hinata is adamant to try each and every ride on the park, and despite Tobio’s protests, he found himself being dragged along all the same. He’s feeling a bit dizzy and the takoyaki he ate earlier is long gone from his stomach. Hinata is still full of energy and Tobio wonders, not for the first time, where the _fuck_ is he getting all this energy from. He wouldn’t be surprised if Hinata is actually part-demon because no normal human being could have a stamina like his.

When they passed by a lake, Hinata stops walking, Tobio following suit. They stare at the clear water, the afternoon sun painting the lake with a soft orange hue. There are a few boats bobbing on the water and when Hinata looks up to him, puppy eyes pleading, the words, _‘Okay, fine’_ are out of Tobio's mouth before his brain could catch up to what exactly he agreed to.

None of them knows how to row a boat, and with them arguing and bickering about who’s doing it wrong, they’re basically just going in circles. Hinata finally relents and let Tobio rows the boat (“Your arms are longer and you’re stronger than me anyway”). They still didn’t get much farther, and his arms are starting to strain from all the useless rowing. They just sit there, admiring the view, Hinata leaning over and playing with the water, his hair almost the same shade as the reflected orange of the lake. He’s quiet, a contrast from all the yapping and shouting from earlier. He looks up suddenly at Tobio (he’s nearly embarrassed that he’s caught staring) and smiles softly at him.

“I’m having fun today.”

Tobio feels his heart squeeze and then expands. He didn’t have to tell him—he knows Hinata is having fun—but the verbal confirmation is making his stomach whoop in relief.

“W-well, me too.” S _eeing you happy and having fun is enough for me. Seeing you smile and laugh and cheer is_ my _happiness because I love you and I don’t know if I’m allowed to have this but I’ll take it anyway._ He doesn’t say. Instead, he leans forward as he pulls Hinata closer to him and presses their lips together.

He kisses him slow and soft, all of his unspoken words translated into the movement of his lips against Hinata’s. He wants him to know how much he means to Tobio, and even if he can’t use words as eloquently as Hinata can, at least he has this. And if it wasn't for the wobbling of the boat, he would’ve kept kissing Hinata until sunset—that short kiss was nowhere near enough to express all of his feelings.

They get off the boat after another bout of struggling to get to the docks. Hinata jumps out carelessly and Tobio almost topples over the water by the sudden movement. Hinata laughs at him, calling him clumsy and lanky, and Tobio grabs a fistful of hair and yanks it upwards. They exit the harbor with Hinata cursing at Tobio for being a _‘violent jerk’_ , while Tobio smirks at him and ruffles his hair, messing it even further.

 

* * *

 

The ferris wheel is the only ride they haven’t gone to yet. There’s a long queue for it and it took a while until they finally clamber inside a car. Both their faces are pressed against the window, enjoying the view. Hinata is pointing at random things, Tobio guessing which landmark it is. The ferris wheel stops suddenly and their car sways, sending Hinata toppling over him, letting out a muffled _‘ommpf’_ as he crashes into Tobio’s chest. He steadies Hinata with his hands on his waist while Hinata pushes himself off slightly. They stare at each other, then Hinata grins, rests his hand on Tobio’s shoulders and re-positions himself to straddle his lap.

“You know what people do when they’re at the very top of the ferris wheel?” Hinata’s face is so close to his, he could feel his warm breath ghosting over his cheeks.

Tobio returns the grin despite the blush forming on his cheeks, “What?”

“They kiss.”

Hinata surges forward, holding Tobio’s face with calloused hands. He kisses Tobio fervently, always the impatient little shit, but Tobio is just as impatient and he pulls him closer by his waist. Their lips move sloppily, the complete opposite of their kiss in the lake earlier. Hinata moves his hands to tangle at Tobio’s hair and his own hand moves up to cradle Hinata’s neck, slighty titling his head to deepen the kiss. He could feel the strings of his restraints snapping and when Hinata sighs, Tobio slipped his tongue inside, and not a second after, Hinata’s tongue is sliding against his.

They only pull apart when the ferris wheel starts moving again, both of them breathless, their foreheads leaning against each other. Hinata giggles, his honey brown eyes blown. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment you came knocking at my front door this morning.”

Tobio blinks, his mind is still fuzzy from the kiss, his words a little slurred. “Wh-what? Why?”

Hinata leans back and pouts. “Well, there you were, looking all cool and—and handsome, with that haircut and clothes and why did you have to go dress up do you know how hard it is to restrain myself with you looking like—mmmmfff!”

The rest of Hinata’s words are stifled by Tobio’s palm as he presses it against his mouth. “S-shut up, dumbass! D-don’t say stuff like that!” His whole body is flaming from embarrassment; he’s actually scared he might combust any moment. Hinata’s brutal honesty is going to be the cause of his death one day.

Hinata pries Tobio’s hand from his mouth and folds his arms across his chest. “It’s true though.”

Damn it. He’s going to say it, isn’t he?

“What about you then? Looking stupidly cute in that outfit and that ridiculous haircut making you look hot and, _fuck_ , if we aren’t in public right now I will kiss you until you passed out,” Tobio huffs, his chest heaving as he blurts out the words.

Hinata’s face and neck is crimson red and it’s oddly satisfying that Tobio could elicit such response from him, to know that his words could affect Hinata the same way Hinata’s words affects him.

“I-I guess we’re even then.” Hinata is averting his gaze, looking anywhere but Tobio.

“How is this a competition?”

They argue the rest of the ride, and neither of them noticed that Hinata is still on his lap until they are about to exit the car. Luckily, the thing is enclosed in tinted glass; it would have been awkward to be seen is such a compromising position. Both of their faces are still pink as they walk, the embarrassment from earlier still hanging like a taunting cloud above them.

Hinata is purposely avoiding Tobio’s general direction (well, frankly, Tobio is doing the same, he can’t quite handle looking at him yet, not until he could calm the erratic thudding of his heart). He’s unusually quiet, and when Tobio subtly steals a glance from the corner of his eyes, Hinata is tugging his hair and he’s smiling, but it’s a kind of smile Tobio’s never seen before—it’s small, his lips curving upwards slightly, like he’s trying not to smile but failing. Since when does Hinata intentionally tries not to smile? It’s almost like he’s…shy, and Tobio’s own lips form a smile almost out of his own accord.

Amber eyes suddenly glances up at Tobio and, _shit,_ he’s caught staring (so much for subtle). They both flinch at the unexpected eye contact and whips their head in the opposite direction. Great, his face is burning again and it seems like his heart is not calming down anytime soon. He covers his face with one hand. _Fuck_ , what is wrong him? This feels like when they first started dating, all awkward and shy, and even the slightest contact reduced them both to blushing messes. Was it the embarrassing exchange earlier? They’d never been that blunt about each before (volleyball-related matters not included), at least Tobio wasn’t.

He doesn’t want to end the date in such an awkward mood and he’s still contemplating on how to dispel the weird air between them when he feels a nudge on his hand. He looks down and a small hand is facing towards him, palms open and inviting. He glances back up and Hinata is staring at him expectantly, brows raised. Something unfurls from his chest, relief maybe, and suddenly he’s laughing as he clutches Hinata’s hand into his. It’s always like this—on and off the court—, Hinata is always the one who knows exactly what to do, dragging Tobio along to his pace. He hears a snicker and Hinata’s laughter blends with his own, piercing the warm spring afternoon.

“So, you think I’m hot with my hair like this?”

“Shut up, dumbass.”

 

* * *

 

The sun starts to disappear from the horizon when they finally get off the bus, casting the last of its golden rays across the billowing clouds, dyeing the sky a different hundred shades of oranges and reds. Hinata’s hair seems to blend with the background, like another fiery orb in the sky. He hefted his bag of prices unto his arms as he chatters animatedly of the events that day, as if Tobio wasn’t with him, punctuating certain parts with sound effects and excessive hand gestures. By the time they arrive at Tobio’s house, it was starting to get dark.

(They decided to stop by at his house first to drop their bags of prices, Tobio insisting that it would be a hassle for Hinata to lug those home. It’s not like Tobio vaguely remembered her mother saying she’ll be late again and that he has any ulterior motives, _nope_ , none of that.)

Hinata flops down on the couch, his head and arms resting on the couch’s back. Tobio heads towards the kitchen to fix themselves a drink, Hinata calling out that he wants orange juice (“Any more orange and you’ll end up being a tangerine, dumbass.” “Shut up, you overgrown milk-baby!”). They sit side by side and chug down their drinks (Tobio wins, of course he does, it’s _milk_ ) and he doesn’t remember what happens after because now Hinata’s legs are over his lap and when did they start kissing? Not that he’s complaining.

He pulls Hinata closer by his legs (those smooth, muscled calves) and Hinata clutches the front of his shirt as their kiss deepens. He tastes tangy and a little bit sour as it mingles with the taste of milk in his own mouth. Tobio is still savoring the weird, inebriating combined flavors of their mouth when Hinata suddenly breaks the kiss.

“W-wait, wait.” Hinata says, a little breathless.

Tobio is a bit annoyed (okay, a hell _lot_ annoyed) and snaps. “What?”

“I need to ask something.”

Tobio tips Hinata’s chin and leans forward. “Can’t it wait?”

There’s a hand on his chest, lightly pushing him back. “No, Tobio, it has to be now.”

He clicks his tongue, and ignores the skipping of his heart when Hinata says his name. He retrieves his hand from Hinata’s chin and tries not to sulk. “Fine. What is it?”

Hinata rearranges himself, sitting properly (Tobio is slightly lamenting the loss of contact). He fidgets, his hands twisting his hoodie, eyes casted down on his lap. He starts to open his mouth but closes it quickly. He stays like that for a minute and Tobio has this nagging feeling in his chest and he’s starting to worry. He couldn’t be, right? That’s not it, right? Oh god, what if it is? Did asking him to go on a date a bad idea? Was today Hinata's attempt to indulge Tobio before—

“Are you dissatisfied?”

He’s brought back from the edge of panic by Hinata’s sudden question. It takes a while for the words to click in his mind, and when it does, he practically shouts. “Wh-what?!?”

Hinata is startled by his outburst but manages to respond, his eyes wide and searching. “Is that why you asked me out on a date? Are you—” He cuts himself off, and sighs, his voice quivering as he continues, “Are you bored?”

Tobio blinks. He stares at Hinata, taking in the frown on his face, and the watery look in his eyes, and _oh_.

Slowly and gently, he cups Hinata’s cheeks and brushes the tiny tears threatening to fall from the corner of his eyes. He really doesn’t have a way with words, especially voicing out his feelings and emotions, but he braces himself and tries nonetheless.

“No. _Hell no_. I asked you out on a date because I thought you’re the one who’s bored and—and I want to do something for you.”

Hinata tilts his head sideways, the baffled look on his face noticeable. “But I’m not bored. Of this. Of what we have. Play volleyball everyday or whatever. I’m happy the way we are.”

“You don’t mind that we basically do nothing except play volleyball or hang out in our houses?”

Hinata grasps Tobio’s hands on his own and slowly pulls them from his cheeks and laces their fingers together. He looks up at Tobio, a small, bashful smile on his face.

“We’re you listening, Bakageyama? I don’t care that we don’t go on dates all the time like most couples do. Playing volleyball with you is the most fun and I would rather do that than go on some dumb date-y things. Heck, just being with you even if we’re doing nothing, like right now, is fine with me.”

Tobio gazes back at honey brown eyes, open and sincere, not a hint of malice or dishonesty. Really, what had he done in his past life to deserve someone as thoughtful and lovable as this sun-personified boy in front of him. He untangles their fingers and puts his arm around Hinata, squeezing him tight.

“Kageyama?”

He nuzzles against his neck, inhaling his scent of pure sunshine.

“I love you.”

He knows it’s pretty early in the game to say it, but he couldn’t help it. The overwhelming emotions he has for this boy is too constricting, it’s just too much, _too much_ , and the words came bubbling out of his mouth, unbidden.

Hinata goes stiff and unmoving. Tobio doesn’t blame him, he knows it’s a lot to take in, especially coming from someone who struggles to give simple compliments, much less say such heavy, emotional words. But he’d be lying if he doesn’t feel a sharp pang in his chest when there’s no response.

He’s about to release Hinata from his hold when a pair of arms circles around his back and pulls him back, a bubble of laughter breaking the silence.

Confused, Tobio holds onto Hinata as his small body rocks with laughter, and when it subsides, now reduced to giggles, Hinata slowly pulls away and looks straight at Tobio’s eyes.

“I love you, too.”

If they weren’t sitting right now, Tobio might’ve collapsed on his knees from relief. His heart is doing all sorts of gymnastic tricks (seriously, what is up with that?) and his stomach is a mass of butterflies, fluttering from euphoria.

Another fit of giggles burst out from Hinata. “I’ve been wanting to say that for a while but I was afraid that you don’t feel the same yet and that I’ll scare you away.”

Now it’s Tobio’s turn to laugh. “Dumbass. As if you can scare me.”

“Way to ruin the mood, Tobio.”

He tackles Hinata down on the couch, his boyfriend yelping as he goes down. Tobio hovers above him, his elbows on either side of Hinata’s face, their legs a tangled mess below them. He leans forward and smirks.

“Let’s fix it then, Shouyou.”

Hinata smirks back. He loops his arms on Tobio’s neck and tugs him further down. “What are you waiting for, Bakageyama?”

As they melt into each other, their lips moving languidly at first, but quickly escalates to something deeper and stirring, Tobio has no doubt in his mind that he would never ask for anything more than this, more than the feeling he has every time he is with this annoying and loud dumbass that he loves.

Tobio is content.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the [fanart](https://the-new-king-of-the-court.tumblr.com/post/188317515109/look-at-this-absolutely-gorgeous-kagehina-fanart) made by my friend Phoebe ([@tobeeo_](https://twitter.com/tobeeo_?s=17) on twitter)! My soft boyss (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated :) Thank you for reading! ♥️
> 
> follow me on [tumblr](https://the-new-king-of-the-court.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/artemisia_hq?s=09)
> 
> ask me anything on my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/hqartemisia)! 🐱


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